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The clash of the European giants, Germany and Portugal will kick off the proceedings in Group G tonight. Spain might have started as the favorites to retain the World Cup, but after their demoralizing defeat to Netherlands, the focus would be very much on Germany. They were considered one of the favourites in the buildup and now they would be hot favourites looking at the games that have gone by.
They face a Portugal side buoyed by the return of Cristiano Ronaldo. However, they are more than a one man team with the likes of Joao Moutinho, Fabio Coentrao and Pepe to name a few. The irony lies in the fact though that Portugal fails to impress without their talismanic captain and for them to achieve anything in this tournament they would need Ronaldo firing on all cylinders.
Venue
Arean Fonte Nova located in Salvador would be hosting this all important meeting in Group G, another potential Group of Death. Built in 1951, officially known as Estadio Octavio Mangabeira, it was the venue for many a derby between Salavador’s Esporte Clube Bahia and Esporte Clube Vitoria. It was closed in November 2007 and subsequently demolished three years later.
The new stadium that has been built is similar to its predecessor and has an average capacity of 52,000. After pain and Netherlands clashed here, it will be the turn of another European showdown at this venue. Apart from this, the venue will host two more group matches, a round of 16 clash and a quarter final.
Kickoff time
June 16 – 1:00 pm – Local Time
June 16 – 9:30 pm – Indian Standard Time (IST)
Possible Starting Line Ups
Going into this tournament, predicting Germany’s lineup is the most difficult. The plethora of midfield talent available at Loew’s disposal could just be the perfect antidote to cope with Marco Reus’s absence. Loew would stick to his favored False 9 formation that has served him so well over the qualifying campaign. It is confirmed that Bastian Schweinsteiger will not feature in the playing XI; hence Philipp Lahm will partner Sami Khedira in the midfield.
Germany (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Boateng, Hummels, Mertesacker, Hoewedes; Khedira, Lahm; Kroos, Özil, Schurrle; Müller
As compared to Deutschland, Portugal coach Paulo Bento has had no major injury problems to deal with apart from Ronaldo’s battle against knee tendonitis. Moutinho and Raul Meireles will be the key men in midfield, while Pepe and Bruno Alves will marshal the defence, Hugo Almeida will be expected to start alongside Ronaldo following his two goals in their last friendly.
Portugal (4-3-3): Patricio; Coentrao, Alves, Pepe, Pereira; Carvalho, Meireles, Moutinho; Nani, Ronaldo, Almeida
Key Facts
- Germany have only lost one of their last 18 games in the group stages of the World Cup, it was against Serbia on 18 June 2010 (0-1), winning 13 and drawing four.
- Die Mannschaft have opened their last six World Cups with a victory; the last time they failed to win their opening game was back in 1986, when they drew 1-1 with Uruguay.
- Portugal have only won one of their last seven games at the World Cup (7-0 v North Korea in 2010), drawing three and losing three.
- Portugal have only won three of their 17 previous internationals against Germany (D5 L9), losing their last three at major tournaments (World Cup 2006, Euro 2012 and Euro 2008).
- Cristiano Ronaldo has scored two goals from a total of 48 shots at the World Cup.
Key Battles
Cristiano Ronaldo vs Jerome Boateng
Perhaps the most anticipated duel on the field in today’s match, Boateng will face the daunting prospect of keeping Ronaldo quiet throughout the match. It will be the most important battle and Boateng will have to be at his defensive best if Die Mannschaft are to prevail in this encounter. The question remains – how can Boateng, who has not featured prominently, stop the current Ballon d’Or holder? The answer lies in the fact that Boateng has played this role and managed to keep Ronaldo quiet when the two teams squared off in Euro 2012. However, two years has seen Ronaldo scale new heights and it will require a herculean effort from the German to come out on top in this one.
Bruno Alves vs Thomas Muller
With Loew preferring a False 9 setup ahead of fielding an out-and-out striker, Muller would most definitely end up playing as the target man or on the right hand side. No matter where he plays, Muller will end up facing Alves. With Coentrao likely to be the first choice left back, Loew would look to employ Muller in the free floating role that would see him explore the spaces left by Coentrao (who likes to go forward), especially on counter attacks.
Alves will then have to follow Muller when he starts roaming the front line unmarked. This will affect Potugal’s shape and defensive line thereby allowing the German midfield to exploit Portugal’s backline. Alves is still an outstanding defender, strong in the air and even more powerful in the tackle, but he has lost almost all his pace which would be a concern when dealing with the swift Muller. To keep Muller and the support cast quiet, it will require either doubling up Alves in defense or restricting Coentrao from venturing forward.
Predictions
Even without Reus, Die Mannschaft still have enough firepower in the midfield to hurt Portugal and other teams in the tournament. They also have Miroslav Klose who is very much capable of coming off the bench and scoring goals. However, Germany’s biggest weakness lies in their unstable and unpredictable defence. Loew would definitely hope to witness a disciplined defensive showing as a Ronaldo-inspired Portugal has the capability of hurting them.
All said and done, Portugal themselves lack conviction and are extremely dependent on Ronaldo to carry them through. As seen in the qualifiers playoffs, they have had to rely on Ronaldo’s skills to power them through. However, to be a one man team against Germany is just as good as not showing up at all. It’s very difficult to see Portugal getting a result out of this one.
Predicted Scoreline: Germany 2 – 1 Portugal
Match Officials
Referee: Milorad Mazic (SRB)
Assitant Referee 1: Milovan Ristic (SRB)
Assistant Referee 2: Dalibor Djurdjevic (SRB)
Fourth Official: Alioum (CMR)
